Lost In Fatal Existence

The world was silent.

Ryuta and Skyler walked through the vast emptiness, their footsteps echoing against hollow streets. It was their world—but not. Buildings stood tall and untouched, yet there were no people, no voices, no movement. The air was still, almost artificial, as if time itself had frozen.

"This place… it's exactly like our original world," Skyler muttered, his gaze drifting over the abandoned city. "But something's wrong."

Ryuta said nothing at first, his sharp eyes scanning the lifeless surroundings. This was True Existence—a realm that mirrored reality yet was devoid of its essence. It was neither a dream nor an illusion, yet it felt unreal.

They passed a store. Inside, shelves were still stocked, frozen in time. A streetlight flickered above them, though there was no electricity, no working power grid. Cars sat on the road, doors ajar, as if their drivers had simply vanished. The eerie stillness gnawed at Ryuta's mind.

"We're alone here," he finally said. "No people. No animals. No sound besides our own. This isn't a world. It's an abandoned shell."

Skyler exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "So, what now? If this world is empty, then what's stopping us from recreating Fatal Existence? That's still the goal, right?"

Ryuta turned to him, his expression unreadable. "It is. But this changes things. If True Existence exists, then that means something else happened when we fought the Deity of Life. Something we don't understand yet."

Skyler frowned. "That battle was supposed to be the end. Instead, we're here. Are you saying that even after all that, the cycle is still continuing?"

Ryuta clenched his fists. "I don't know. But recreating Fatal Existence isn't as simple as just willing it into being. We have to understand why we were sent here first."

They continued walking, their eyes tracing the empty streets, searching for any sign of life—anything that could explain the nature of this world. Then, Skyler's Fool tarot card pulsed in his hand. A faint, almost imperceptible vibration.

"Huh?" He looked down, flipping the card between his fingers. "This is weird. My tarot's reacting."

Ryuta glanced at it. "What does it mean?"

"No idea. But I think we should follow it."

The Fool card shimmered, faint trails of energy flickering toward an alleyway. Without hesitation, they followed. Every step forward sent a chill down Ryuta's spine. Something was here. Something unseen.

At the end of the alley, they stopped. Before them was a distorted building, flickering in and out of existence like a mirage. And on its walls—written in a language neither of them recognized—was a message.

"We were here before. And we will be here again."

Skyler inhaled sharply. "What the hell does that mean?"

Ryuta didn't answer. He was staring at something beyond the words.

Faint footprints in the dust.

Not theirs.

Someone had been here before them.

And if the message was right, they would be here again.